Winter Outdoor Retailer 2010 Underway

The annual Winter Outdoor Retailer gear show is currently underway in Salt Lake City. As usual, the show is hosts all the major gear manufacturers, as well as plenty of minor ones too, as they show off all their new products that will be available later this year.

For gear hounds, the week of the show, and it's summer counterpart, are generally a lot of fun, as there are always new and interesting pieces of gear to get excited about. You'll find new tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and a whole lot more. And of course, I can almost hear my bank account weeping in anticipation.

As always, there are some good websites covering the event, and showing off the new stuff. I always appreciate the coverage over at Trail Space, as they do a good job of showing off the latest trends. True to his name, the Gear Junkie does a good job of hitting the big stories too, and his coverage can be found in the Daily Dose. Also, The Goat blog from Backcountry.com is showing off all kinds of goodies too.

So far, I haven't seen a lot of stuff that has blown me away. It seems like most of the gear is more evolutionary than revolutionary. There is a continued focus on being more eco-sensitive and making products that respect the environment. There are updated fabrics and materials being applied to clothes, bags, and so on, making the gear lighter, stronger, and more resistant to the elements. All good things of course.

Stay tuned. If I see something is particularly interesting, I'll be sure to spotlight it. :)